India's pace-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah said bubble fatigue is a tough reality of the current times as he tried to explain the team's shambolic campaign in the ongoing T20 World Cup in the UAE.
Former India cricketers lined up to slate Virat Kohli's side after Sunday's crushing eight-wicket defeat against New Zealand left them on the brink of elimination from the T20 World Cup.
They are at two ends of the spectrum. England have been one of the stand-out teams of the T20 World Cup so far and a win against Sri Lanka on Monday will all but book them a spot in the semis.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead said his bowlers produced one of their best ever T20 performances in Sunday's eight-wicket victory over India, which put the 'Black Caps' firmly back on track for a place in the T20 World Cup semifinals.
"We need to be brutal here. I don't think we were brave enough with the bat or ball. Didn't have much to defend but we weren't brave when we walked out to the field. New Zealand had more intensity," a curt Virat Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
India's pace-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah on Sunday said that the batters tried to play "an attacking game" in a bid to give extra 20-30 runs to the bowlers on a dew-laden surface as that was the communication from the team management for the match against New Zealand. India were handed an eight-wicket defeat in the end.
India suffered an eight-wicket loss against New Zealand in a 'Super 12' game of the ongoing tournament on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, which have now seriously hurt the chances of Virat Kohli & Co reaching the semifinals of the T20 World Cup.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said the Dubai wicket wasn't an easy one to bat but the Kiwi openers made things easy for the side against India in their T20 World Cup game on Sunday. New Zealand went on to register a comprehensive eight-wicket win to revive their campaign.
As New Zealand, without any scoreboard pressure chasing 111, cantered along merrily, with Darryl Mitchell (49 off 35; 4x4, 3x6) at times toying with the much-vaunted attack, India's shoulders drooped, the faces went grim and their pre-tournament billing appeared manufactured.
India's superstar cricketers were pummelled on a second-straight Sunday as a disciplined New Zealand firmly pushed them towards the exit door with an easy eight-wicket victory in the ICC T20 World Cup.
Indian captain Virat Kohli said his team was not brave enough with the bat, ball and in its body language as it copped an 8-wicket thrashing at the hands of New Zealand which has put the side in danger of a group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup. "We didn't have much to defend but we weren't brave when we walked out to field," Kohli said. The defeat will once again raise questions over Kohli's leadership even though he is stepping down from T20 captaincy after the ongoing tournament.
England captain Eoin Morgan on Saturday heaped praise on his bowlers for their "relentless" discipline, saying they have come up "trumps" on different wickets to help the side inch closer to a T20 World Cup semifinal spot with three successive wins.
After suffering a defeat against England in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, Australia skipper Aaron Finch admitted that his side now has to win its remaining two matches against Bangladesh and West Indies.
Australia skipper Aaron Finch lavished praise on England team following the defeat of his side on Saturday in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Chris Jordan scalped three before Jos Buttler fired a stylish fifty to help England defeat Australia by eight wickets.
Barcelona's miserable LaLiga campaign continued as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by lowly Alaves on Saturday in their first match since the sacking of coach Ronald Koeman.
Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero has been taken to hospital after he suffered chest pain and complained about feeling dizzy during his side's 1-1 LaLiga draw with Alaves on Saturday.
These are two teams driven to similar states of desperation by defeat to the same opponent, Pakistan. Two teams with no lack of mutual respect, hoping to somehow claw and scratch their way past each other in Sunday's big-billing, winner-takes-all World Cup contest in Dubai.
Jos Buttler hammered a brutal 32-ball 71 not out to complement a superlative performance from the bowlers as England crushed Australia by eight wickets in their Super 12 match to inch closer to a semifinal spot at the T20 World Cup on Saturday.
Former Afghanistan skipper Asghar Afghan will play his last match for his country on Sunday as he has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
Five-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) and debutant Sumit (75kg) sailed into the pre-quarterfinals of the AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships here on Saturday after notching up facile victories in their second-round bouts.
New Zealand will need to adjust quickly to the pace of the Dubai wicket if they want to defeat India when the teams meet in their crucial Twenty20 World Cup clash on Sunday, bowler Tim Southee said.
‘Unconventional’, ‘freak’ and 'ridiculous' are just a few words that are casually used to describe Rishabh Pant’s game. His audacious approach towards his batting has often bordered on recklessness.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam had no doubt that Asif Ali will deliver when required as the dashing batter went on a six-hitting spree to seal a five-wicket win against Afghanistan in a T20 World Cup game in Dubai.
Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi pleaded for T20 World Cup calm on Friday after thousands of ticketless fans tried to storm the Dubai Stadium for the high-profile clash against neighbours Pakistan.
South African off-spinner Keshav Maharaj described 'take a knee' rebel Quinton de Kock as a man of "calibre" on Friday and claimed the controversy has helped the team "bond and gel even stronger".
Chasing a modest 142/7 posted by West Indies, Bangladesh managed 139 for five, unable to eke out the 12 runs needed for victory in the final over.
Asif knew Afghanistan paceman Karim Janat was the weak-link in the Afghanistan attack and he launched a vicious attack as Pakistan needed 24 off 12. Four sixes flew from his bat in the 19th over as Janat looked a fish out of water and Pakistan notched up their third win and they are well on course to finish on top of the group.
Skipper Babar Azam hit a composed 51 while Asif Ali hit four sixes in the penultimate over as Pakistan completed a hat-trick of victories in the T20 World Cup with a five-wicket win over Afghanistan in a Super 12 Group 2 match on Friday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's successful "CSK template" is likely to be continued as the Indian team management has more or less made up its mind to play the same eleven against New Zealand in the 'do or die' T20 World Cup game on Sunday.
Afghanistan star spinner Rashid Khan on Friday became the fastest bowler to take 100 T20Is wickets. Rashid achieved the feat during the match against Pakistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
India's double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu continued her impressive run at the French Open badminton tournament by sailing into the women's singles semifinals with a straight-game win over Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan on Friday.
Former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan believes that Virat Kohli's men, despite their defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup, might still be able to lift the coveted T20 World Cup trophy.
There's a growing perception that Group 2 has been all but decided and the India vs New Zealand game is a virtual quarterfinal with Pakistan set to go through as the No. 1 team. It's on Afghanistan to change it all and throw the group open.
Barcelona are close to finalising Xavi Hernandez's long-anticipated return as coach, according to various reports in the Catalan press on Thursday, although the club's former superstar remained reluctant to discuss his likely coronation as successor to the sacked Ronald Koeman.
Dropped by the Sunrisers after just two games in the second game of the IPL, Warner- who looked to be getting back into touch during his brief 13-run stay in the first game against South Africa- roared back to form to help Australia coast to the 155-run target set by Sri Lanka.
Thanks to a back injury that required a major surgery, Hardik Pandya hasn't bowled during the last two Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons. In between, he enjoyed a great white-ball tour of Australia and bowled well in all the five T20Is against England. He also bowled sporadically during India's white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
With CSK transforming Moeen into a match-winning allrounder, England captain Morgan was quick to copy the Dhoni template in the ongoing T20 World Cup. In England's two wins so far, Moeen has played a significant role by picking up four wickets inside the Powerplay overs.
Aaron Finch would have loved if David Warner got the 'Player of the Match' award for his 65 but accepted that Adam Zampa was deserving as his world class spell was a game-changer in Australia's seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in a T20 World Cup game on Thursday.
Vintage David Warner answered his critics with a sizzling 42-ball 65 as Australia cruised to 7-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in a Super 12 game of the ICC T20 World Cup. Warner, who has gone through a lean patch, was back in his element as his 10 fours made it easy for Australia to chase down the target of 155 in only 17 overs. It was Australia's second win in as many Super 12 games and they look like a strong contender to move into the semis.
Indian boxers Narender Berwal (+92kg) and Rohit Mor (57kg) stormed into the pre-quarterfinals of the AIBA Men's World Championships after out-classing and intimidating their opponents in lop-sided second-round contests on Thursday.
India's Lakshya Sen advanced to the men's singles quarterfinals with a straight game win over Singapore's Loh Kean Yew but Sameer Verma retired midway due to an injury at the French Open Super 750 tournament on Thursday.
Cristiano Ronaldo announced on social media on Thursday that his partner Georgina Rodriguez is expecting twins. "Delighted to announce we are expecting twins. Our hearts are full of love - we can't wait to meet you," the 37-year-old Manchester United and Portugal star, who is already the father of four children, wrote on Instagram.
Pakistan coach Saqlain Mushtaq on Thursday said it would be a "great thing" if his team gets to square off against India in the T20 World Cup final and lauded the two sides for sending a message of friendship during their earlier clash. Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets in the match on Sunday and, according to Saqlain, the sporting conduct of players on both the sides sent a strong message of humanity.
Pakistan have kick-started their Twenty20 World Cup campaign by winning both their grudge matches but coach Saqlain Mushtaq insists they cannot afford to lower their guard against a "fearless" Afghanistan in Friday's Super 12 contest.
South African star Quinton de Kock has apologised for refusing to take the knee in his team's Twenty20 World Cup match and said he would be "happy" to do it.
New Zealand's Martin Guptill has a badly bruised toe after suffering an injury against Pakistan but the opening batsman is expected to be fit for the team's Twenty20 World Cup clash against India, the country's cricket board said on Thursday.South African star Quinton de Kock has apologised for refusing to take the knee in his team's Twenty20 World Cup match and said he would be "happy" to do it.
India slumped to a 0-1 defeat after conceding a late penalty in its second AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers match against hosts UAE at the Fujairah Stadium here.
Australia paceman Mitchell Starc is being monitored by medical staff after being hit by a ball just above his knee during training ahead of their T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka, the team said on Thursday.
West Indies fast bowler Obel McCoy has been ruled out of the Twenty20 World Cup with a right shin injury, the country's cricket board (CWI) said on Wednesday. All-rounder Jason Holder, who was initially named as a travelling reserve for the tournament, will replace McCoy in the 15-man squad. Holder has 199 West Indies caps to his name, which includes 27 T20 internationals.